Month: October 2008
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A Short History of Fingerprints
Cabinet of Wonders provides us with everything you’ve ever wanted to know about fingerprints, but were afraid to ask. I particularly enjoyed this tidbit: Spider monkeys, whose prehensile tail-tips are so sensitive and flexible that they can pick a dime up off a floor, also have prints on the bare spot at the end of…
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Deep Brain Stimulation
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a procedure in which a ‘brain pacemaker’ is implanted into a patient’s brain. This ‘pacemaker’ then sends electrical impulses to specific areas of the brain in order to alleviate the symptoms of typically treatment-resistant conditions. Mind Hacks has made a list of the conditions treated using DBS: Obesity Writer’s cramp…
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Following the Diamond Trade
Foreign Policy presents A Trail of Diamonds – a photo essay following the diamond trade from mine to bride. It reminds me of a Janine Roberts interview (author of Glitter and Greed) where she discusses how the manipulation of supply and advertising created the myth of the diamond wedding ring and made Ernest Oppenheimer (who…
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The Intersection of Work and Life: Shrink Talk Interviews PhilaLawyer
Dr. Rob of Shrink Talk talks with the PhilaLawyer on the intersection of work and life. The topic for this part of the discussion is boredom and job satisfaction. Here are a few choice cuts: PL: I don’t think anyone is wired to sit in front of a computer in the same office, every day,…
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The Geologic Time Spiral
As an accompaniment to the rather dense Age of the Earth article on the USGS website, there is a great graphical representation of geologic time available: The Geologic Time Spiral. If I were a teacher, I would definitely get the poster-sized version up on my wall.
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Dali on ‘What’s My Line?’
This short video of Salvador Dali’s appearance on What’s My Line? is rather entertaining. Naturally, he’s as surreal as his art. At one point a contestant mused: “You are a human being?”
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100 Skills Every Man Should Know
Popular Mechanics has come up with a list of 100 Skills Every Man Should Know. Even though it has more diversity than The Independent‘s list, I don’t think it’s as good. Topics covered include: Automotive Handling Emergencies Home Medical Myths Military Know-How Outdoors Primitive Skills Surviving Extremes Teach Your Kids Technology Master Key Workshop Tools…
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The Growth of Scientific Knowledge and Scientific Ignorance
Noting that knowledge is growing at an exponential rate, Kevin Kelly argues that thanks to science, our ignorance is growing exponentially faster. If knowledge is growing exponentially we should be quickly running out of puzzles. Because of our accelerating rate of learning, a few writers declared we must be in the age of “the end…
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Instinctual vs. Rational Decision–Making
Squeezing the article into a tenuous comparison between Obama and McCain, The Boston Globe has a nonetheless interesting article on recent research into the benefits of, and the differences between, instinctual (gut) decisions and methodical (rational) ones. The crucial skill, scientists are now saying, is the ability to think about your own thinking, or metacognition,…
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James Nachtwey’s Powerful XDR-TB Photography
I try not to link to TED Talks as I believe doing so will just add to the millions around the Internet already doing so (plus, I hope everyone visiting here already subscribes to the TED Talks RSS feed). Today, however, l feel compelled to do so after viewing James Nachtwey’s heartbreaking photographs of people…